HEAL THYSELF
by Neil Davies
Summary: When Caine heals a dying girl he can scarsely imagine the harsh reaction.


10

HEAL THYSELF

The child had stopped crying out but she was soaked through and the tiny muscles beneath her pale skin continued to twitch and tense as some great inner battle raged. Feeling utterly helpless for the first time in his life her father mopped the damp face, the face of an angel as he thought of it for this child was just that, his own little miracle. If only he could find the words to comfort her now, to take away her pain and distress but he couldn't. All my money he thought and what use is it if I can't save the one person I love?

Daisy murmured something that he couldn't quite distinguish. Leaning over her he hoped she would repeat it but she didn't, then the tiny hand closed around something a small locket that had belonged to his wife, her late mother and tears stung James's eyes. Rachel had died giving birth to their only child and now it seemed her efforts were going to be in vain.

A sound distracted him and mopped Daisy once more looked up to see Lu the man servant hovering in the doorway apologetic as ever, humble like most Chinese.

"Forgive me Mr Hargrove but the man you wished to see is here."

Blinking in surprise James tried to make sense of this, hadn't he ordered that there be no callers not even business associates.

"Send him away, my daughter is very ill."

Lu remained his hands clasped together over his stomach.

"It is your daughter this man has come to help."

Angrily Hargrove flicked a strand of hair from his child's face then he rose to his full six feet and four inches, towering over the servant.

"This must be the man you said could treat illnesses our finest doctors cannot," it seemed unlikely on the surface but like all parents of sick children James was ready to clutch at straws. "I'll see him in my study first."

Best to check the man out to see what kind of character he was, there had been a lot of frauds in recent weeks – healers and quacks of all sorts. James had dismissed them all angrily and was in no mood for another.

"He is a priest," said Lu as they descended the spiralling ornate staircase. James frowned, a priest?

"Daisy isn't dead yet, she doesn't need the last rites damn it."

Flinching under the outburst Lu sighed, "Not that kind of priest sir, this man comes from a temple in my home land where many strange arts are practised."

Pausing at the base of the stairs the millionaire turned stiffly to his employee, a man he had come to rely on in so many ways but a man who was still alien to his land.

"This had better not be a waste of my time Lu, I'm in no mood for another snake oil salesman."

Looking almost offended Lu lost his humble air and met the piercing brown eyes of the tall man with an upturned chin.

"A shaolin master is not to be dismissed so lightly….sir." He said with such outrage that James found himself taken aback. Lu had never so much as raised his voice in this house before he knew his place and kept to it but now he seemed – defiant.

"A master?" James repeated having only ever heard the term in his Masonic lodge never outside it and never in reference to some foreigner.

"Such men are as rare as snow in Summer," said Lu. "We are blessed to find one in this land."

Intrigued now James decided he would give this priest five minutes of his precious time but no more than that, if the master couldn't impress him in five minutes that would be an end to the matter.

"What is this man's name?" He demanded.

Kwai Chang Caine stood still and silent in the middle of the room dressed in a threadbare cream jacket and dark pants, he wide rimmed hat he normally wore on his head was now clenched between his hands. He was tall for an oriental, slim and athletic looking with a degree of European ancestry in the long, serene face. Like Lu he had about him a humble aspect but in the deep, arresting eyes was an intelligence and self-possession that startled James. Dressed like an itinerant this man faced him as though they were equals, a prince in rags he mused, could this character really be a priest?

"Mister Caine," James bellowed in his best boardroom voice, which normally terrified visitors to his world but not this time he noted. "Lu Feng speaks highly of you, he claims you can perform miracles. What say you?"

Nodding his head slightly the visitor neither agreed nor disagreed with this statement but merely continued to hold the business magnate's iron stare.

"I seek only to help a child," he said so softly that James barely caught the words. There was no boasting and no wild claims of supernatural powers like he had heard from others. Caine spoke matter-of-factly he was calm and level with a self-control that some wealthy tycoons didn't possess.

"How can you help my daughter Mr Caine when so many experts have failed?"

"I did not say that I could," came the correction. "But I am willing to try if you wish it."

Used to brashness, even arrogance Hargrove didn't know what to make of this extreme modesty. His father had drilled into him that to succeed in life one had to be bold at all times and seize the initiative.

"How can you help Daisy Viola," he snapped. "With what pray?"

"First I must see her to understand the nature of her illness."

James liked that, Caine was not someone to be browbeaten or rushed. He made an on the spot decision.

"Very well you may see her, briefly. But I warn you Caine I will not tolerate any tomfoolery or waving or pagan idols." Some idiot had come in her screaming in tongues and prostrating himself on the carpet before Daisy. The child had been scared out of her wits. The only response from Caine was another of those slight nods and the hint of a smile. Damn he was so polite and so contained did nothing spook him?

"I shall do nothing to increase her suffering," came the promise.

"Well, see that you don't." Said James leading his guest to the stairs where Lu was waiting. To his surprise Lu bowed deeply to Caine, deeper than he ever had to his employer. Caine returned the bow.

Lu said, "Your presence honours me priest of Hunan."

To which Caine replied, "It is I who am honoured by your trust."

Daisy was soaked in perspiration, the muscles of her face, neck and arms still bunching tightly. It tore James's heart out to see her but he controlled his emotions with an effort, one did not display weakness in front of others. Approaching the bed Caine removed his bag and laid it aside before gently reaching out to touch Daisy on the temples and neck, his fingers sensing and probing in a way James had never seen. Nodding briefly he took her tight fists and with his thumbs he massaged them. Slowly, amazingly the fists relaxed and the hands opened. No doctor had been able to do even that much and James found himself impressed despite his scepticism. Next the Chinaman placed his right hand in the air above Daisy's head and his left hovered over her solar plexus, what was he doing now?

Heat filled the air of the large room and James felt electricity crackle across his flesh, the air became heavy with a strong potential like it does in the moments before a fierce storm. But this time instead of a storm the patient grew calm, her muscles ceased their galvanic dance and her features became calm like those of the man next to her whose eyes were closed and lips slightly apart.

"What is he doing?" James hissed at Lu who was watching the spectacle with reverence.

"One cannot know the mysteries of shaolin," came the reply.

"But he isn't even touching her," James snapped.

Suddenly Daisy gave the deepest and most heartfelt sigh and her eyes popped open, they were clear and full of relief. Actually smiling the child looked first at Caine then at her father, who felt a tightness knot in his chest. Good god she looked better than she had in weeks, months.

Around James the strange energy spiralled upwards and instead of heat he now felt an odd chill, but the cold was good it felt right. Caine removed his hands to a 'holding the ball' position and circled them slowly as if ridding himself of some negative discharge. He rose and stepped away from the bed, picking up his bag he removed something from it.

"Please make a tea of this," he told Lu handing him a pouch.

"Papa," the word was spoken slowly but clearly and it was the first thing Daisy had said for days. James went to his daughter hugging her tightly, tears spilling from his eyes as he forgot about dignity and being aloof and yielded to the raw emotions of love and hope. Thank god he thought, thank the lord. He had prayed for a miracle and it had come in the oddest of guises – a wandering half-breed dressed like a tramp.

Caine spoke, "I have removed the energy blockage her system can now restore itself."

Not understanding a word of this James let go of his precious child and kissed her on the forehead. "Are you saying she is cured?" He demanded hoping beyond hope that the answer would be yes.

"It will take time but healing will occur."

"But how man, you didn't seem to do anything, you didn't give her any medicine?"

The only response was a shrug as though some things could not be explained.

"I felt this power in the air," James began. "Did it come from you?"

"The universe," he was informed.

"Do you mean it came from God, are you claiming to have the same power as Christ?"

Caine blinked then slowly shook his head. "I make no claims, I am merely a channel." He said.

"But this is miraculous," the tycoon announced as his daughter sat up in bed with remarkable vigour. "I can hardly believe my eyes, you sir are the most incredible of men. Where did you learn to do such a thing, how is it even possible?"

Not waiting for an answer James turned to his servant, "Lu take Mister Caine downstairs and make sure he is refreshed, once he is we can discuss payment."

A look passed between Caine and Lu, it was a strange kind of communication. Surprise from one, apology from the other. Why did the word payment induce such consternation, surely this priest wanted a reward of some sort, nobody did anything for nothing in James's experience. He was rich and could afford to be generous. Caine hardly seemed to be in a position to refuse payment his appearance was poverty-stricken as though he slept in barns not hotels.

Once the two men had left James hugged his daughter again, in the past he hadn't given her 100 of his time but that was going to change, business could take second-place for once family was the most important thing in a man's life and he was a fool if he didn't realise that.

The kitchen like everything else in the house was massive, leading the guess to a table Lu waved that he should sit but Caine remained standing.

"You have earned the respect of a powerful and influential man," said Lu as he poured the strange aromatic herbs into a pot and added water. "Your life could be very different from this point onwards, your wandering could be over."

Bowing his head Caine shook it slowly, his wandering would not end until he found his brother, only then would his life be different but even then he would not forsake his vows and he would never cease to be a priest.

Lu added, "The master will reward you well for this, you could demand anything you wanted and he would give it – money, property or a place in society."

Caine sighed, "I have no interest in such things."

Puzzled Lu frowned, "You are not at the shaolin temple now priest, this is a different land a man must have status and influence."

Touching his heart the healer smiled, he had all the status he required he did not pursue material things or control over others for it was not his way.

"I am content," he said.

"Then you are lucky for some of us aren't," Lu's words had a bitter sting in them as he stirred the coloured herbal water vigorously.

"You live well," Caine waved around him meaning the opulent house.

"I am a slave," said Lu fiercely. "A lackey who does another man's bidding, when he shouts I jump, it is the life of a dog."

Bewildered by the vitriol of these words Caine looked at Lu and beyond him into some middle distance where time and space melted away.

Sweeping always sweeping, the boy never seemed to do anything else from dawn to dusk. He swept the courtyard, the steps and the cloisters and then he went back and did it again. No sooner had cleaned one area when the wind blew in more dust, more pebbles and more of the accursed leaves.

_Feeling sorry for himself, the boy ceased his endless backwards and forwards motion to lean on the heavy bamboo brush, which had become his best friend at the temple. His hands felt raw and his back ached. How much more of this would he have to do before he learned something important, before he was initiated into the mysteries of this place?_

"_Does time drag grasshopper?"_

_The words made him jump with shock. Po was right behind him barely inches away yet he hadn't heard the old man, who moved as silently as time itself._

"_I am weary master, all I ever seem to do is sweep the temple."_

"_And what is it that you would prefer to do grasshopper?" Asked the kindly blind man moving around in front of the boy._

"_Learn master, understand the secrets of this holy place." _

_A chuckle escaped the ancient lips. "But you are learning grasshopper, you are mastering perhaps the greatest secret of them all."_

_Po was making fun of him, what could anyone learn through this drudgery, this pointless tedious labour that never seemed to end?_

_Suddenly taking the brush from him Po began to sweep the path himself, it was an amazing sight a master of shaolin acting like a lowly servant._

"_Do you not see?" The bald monk asked._

"_I see you sweeping as I swept," Caine replied._

_Pausing Po nodded, "To become a master one must first learn how to serve for in serving others we acquire tenacity, discipline and humility. It is these qualities that elevate a man to the level of mastery."_

_This made no sense, "It is just a dreary chore." Caine objected._

"_It is what you make of it," Po responded. "We cannot always control the events of our lives but we can always control our response to them. Do you not see what I mean now? To become a master is to master ones own thoughts and emotions. There are no dreary chores grasshopper unless we create them, everything we do is a stepping stone on the path of wisdom."_

A great shadow fell across the kitchen and there stood the father of the child Caine had healed and he was smiling, a different man from before.

"Lu, would you leave us please." He said gently but forcefully dismissing his servant who scuttled away with his head down. Ignoring him as though he were of no consequence James sat facing Caine.

"My daughter is sat up and demanding something to eat, she wants to go and play in the sun. I can't tell you how this makes me feel. I thought I was going to lose her and now she's mine again, I owe you a debt of gratitude."

Caine bowed his head, "There is no debt."

"Oh but there is." James gushed. "Come on man there must be something you want, a desire, a need, name it."

"Work, food, a place to rest." Said Caine simply it earned him a quizzical look from the other man.

"Name a price and I'll happily pay it."

"I have no interest in money."

Opening his mouth to state that this was absurd James kept the words to himself. "You said work, would you work for me?"

The priest nodded, he worked and he travelled this was his life.

"Then I can use a man like you Mr Caine. I understand that as well as your healing skills you are also training in the fighting arts, is that so?"

Looking at this tall, dignified man curiously Caine chose not to elaborate on his training with the masters of the tiger, crane and praying mantis. One did not speak of such things.

Continuing without a pause James said. "A man in my position requires protection, there are those who envy my wealth and seek to divest me of it. I'd like you to stick around. There are always plenty of manual tasks to be performed and Lu can show you what these are."

This was more like it Caine thought, simple things that he could use as meditations. He nodded his head twice to show his interest, he had nothing else to do in this town and had been on the road a long time.

"Splendid," he was told. "Ah, I think my daughter's tea is almost ready."

The woman's eyes were as black as ravens, above them beetle brows curved inwards for a moment then fanned upwards in astonishment as the little girl who had been so close to death bounded down the stairs with a big smile on her face, cheeks rosy with health. "Hi Aunt Matilda." Came the shrill excited voice and dashing to her Aunt, Daisy gave her a big hug. Startled to the point of inertia the black clad, rather dowdy woman looked down at the small person squeezing her with such uncommon strength and wondered if she were dreaming this. When she left for Boston two weeks earlier Daisy had not been expected to be alive upon her return, now the child was more than alive she was vibrant.

Eyes rising Matilda took in the tall form of her brother stood on the far side of the hall, a big smile on his face. He looked younger and more carefree than he had in years.

"What is the meaning of this?" She asked him in a shrill, hectoring voice that for her was quite normal. Matilda did not so much speak as pronounce her sentences.

"It's a miracle," James replied and so it seemed to be. A person who believed in miracles, a person who read her bible every night Matilda blinked at him.

"But….how?" She gasped.

"Come into the dining room and I'll explain over tea, you must be parched."

Near to collapse with thirst Matilda followed her brother into the big room and Daisy danced after them both.

Caine worked in silence and with apparently no effort lifting heavy boxes and carrying them up rickety steps to place them in the house's massive loft. Lu watched him unable to bare heavy weights now that his back was playing him up.

"You are strong," he said enviously. "I used to be strong myself once." Lu recalled his youth when he could run, leap and carry any bulk it seemed a long time ago.

Coming down the steps Caine stood beside him thoughtfully. "You are troubled." He said and it wasn't a question. Hands moving to the height of Lu's lumber region Caine seemed to be sensing or probing for something without actually touching his patient. "Yes," he said. "There is a misalignment."

Lu felt a curious heat at the base of his spine that rose up disk by disk until it reached his source of weakness and then the heat became very focused and grew warmer becoming a tingling nova of electrical power. Oh that was so much better he could feel the pain diminishing by degrees as if sucked out of him through a conduit of heat.

"Is that better," asked Caine? The older man nodded it certainly was, he hadn't felt this good in a long time.

"Thank you priest." He said with meaning. "You are highly gifted."

Caine shrugged to indicate he had been schooled in certain procedures and took no credit but Lu wasn't having that.

"Healing is a special gift, perhaps the greatest of all and you are blessed with much talent."

The next words spoken were not so complimentary in fact they had the sharp sting of a whip.

"It is not a blessing to insult the name of the lord."

Matilda stood staring at both men from the head of the main stairs, her features tight with anger and posture volcanic. Behind her stood James looking sheepish and little Daisy who was frowning with confusion, clearly not understanding her Aunt's fury. Also bewildered by it Caine looked at the woman without guile, his features mystified.

"How dare you come into this house and blaspheme?" Matilda demanded shaking a rigid finger at the priest. "You sir are a heathen, a pagan." She raged and her pasty features suffused with an orange glow. "How dare you claim the power of our lord Jesus Christ, who is the only healer?"

Caine shrugged still confused but Lu jumped to his defence, knowing this bitter woman of old with her dogmatic views and unbending will.

"Kwai Chang is a holy man, a sage from a Buddhist temple in…" He did not get to finish his words.

"Buddhist?" Matilda spat the word. "Buddhist?" She repeated turning it into a term of contempt. "This is a Christian country, a Christian household where we worship the one and only true God."

James shuffled uncomfortably, no longer the regal master of the house. In commerce he was unassailable but in these matters he had little say. Daisy began to weep softly and he put a protective arm around her.

"I came merely to offer what comfort I could." Caine's humble words cut little ice only seeming to inflame the woman's ire.

"You came here to commit a sin in the eyes of the lord and by remaining here you increase that sin a thousand fold."

"My one wish was to help the child."

James finally lifted his head from his boots to say, "Which he did Matty, look at her and how well she seems."

A poisonous glare silenced this declaration. "The lord giveth and the lord taketh away," Caine was told.

"But she was dying," Lu objected. "The master was desperate."

"He was foolhardy and misled, Lucifer swayed his mind," Rising to her full height the woman in black touched the small crucifix that dangled between her breasts. "You must both leave here at once," she said. Lu looked stunned as though he couldn't believe these words, leave his job it was unthinkable?

"Please," the word was directed at James to whom he had been a faithful servant for many years.

James said, "Perhaps it would be best."

"I shall depart," Caine offered. "Please do not dismiss Lu he has done no wrong."

Unimpressed Matilda waved at the stairs. "A servant of the Devil and his lackey, you are both equally guilty in the eyes of God. Leave this house instantly and never return."

Caine's gaze fell upon James Hargrove, "Is this your wish?" The gaze dipped to Daisy. "Is it yours?"

Burying her face in her father's chest the child sobbed, her father shook his head sadly.

"Not even I can pit myself against the church Mr Caine, I'm sorry but it would be best if you moved on."

"And what of Lu your trusted employee?"

James looked to his sister imploringly but there was no compromise on the thin, angry face.

"I'm sorry," he said in defeat. Unhappily Caine picked his jacket from a nearby box and put it on, from a pocket he removed his hat and eased this onto his long, dark hair. He did not expect thanks for what he had done but it was a nasty slap in the face to be evicted onto the street like some criminal. He would go as he had gone from other places, continue his journey his quest, helping where he could and fighting if he had to but only with reluctance.

The woman in black was wrong he felt but wrong had prevailed before and good men had been made to suffer, the mysteries of karma where sometimes difficult to understand but they must always be accepted.

"What am I to do," Lu cried angrily? "I have no job, no reference and now I have no home I have lost everything."

"You said to me that despised being a slave," said Caine. "You are a slave no longer."

"Is it not better to be a comfortable slave than a poor man who is free?"

The sage words of Master Kan drifted across timeless time.

Be always detached young man. Embrace change as the only reality, for none of us truly owns anything. Crave no possession lest it possess you, for this is the way of wisdom.


End file.
